Grease-cup.



(Application mea-Apr. 17, 1902.)

El g STnTss PnTnNT OFFICE.

HENRY C. NSPEAR, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

GREASE-CUP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,579, dated November 11, 1902.

Application filed April 17, 1902. Serial No. 103,294. (No model.)

To all wir/ont it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY C. WINSPEAR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grease-Cups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a grease-cup of that class in which the grease is discharged by a spring-pressed plunger.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide 'a grease cup of this character in which the tension device and guide for the plunger are so organized that the plunger is guided perfectly in the barrel and the use of a light spring is permitted which can be easily set by the attendant.

Another object of my invention is to provide a take-up device for the tension device which can be readily adjusted and which reduces the possibility of admitting dust into the barrel of the grease-cup to a minimum.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a grease-cu p embodying my improvements, the section being taken in line l 1, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the grease-cup in line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in 'ne 8 3, Fig. l, looking downward. Fig. lis

.horizontal section in line 4 4, Fig. l, lool;-

Tng upward. l

Lilie letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures. N

A represents the cylindrical barrel of the grease-cup, and B the plunger, which moves vertically therein. The lower end of the barrel is closed by a conical bottom a, which is secured to the barrel by a screw-joint and provided centrally with a discharge-nipple C. ln this nipple is arranged a valve c, whereby the discharge of grease from the barrel may be regulated. rl`his valve preferably consists of a screw arranged in escrow-threaded opening which intersects the passage of .the nippie C.

Projecting upwardly trom. the central part of the top et' the barrel A is a guide-collar i), which is preferably square in cross-section.

E represents vertically-movable adjustn. n also square in cross-secin the cellar D of the barrel. plunger is provided with a stem F, which is also square in crosssection and projects upwardly into the guidesleeve.

G represents a spiral spring having its coils arranged in the angular space between the stem and the adjusting-sleeve and bearing at its opposite ends against the top of the plunger andthe top c of the'adjusting-sleeve.

Upon pressing downwardly on the adjusting-sleeve while the plunger bears upon the grease in the barrel the spring G is compressed between the sleeve andthe plunger, which causes the spring to press the plunger downwardly on the grease and discharge the same through the nipple of the barrel. As appears in Fig. 3, the relation of the spring G and the adjacent sides of the adjusting-sleeve and plunger-stern is such that the spring bears at intervals on its outer side against .the inner receding parts e of the adj usting-sleeve and at intervals on its inner side against the outer salient parts f of the stem, thereby separating the spring at intervals by intervening spaces g g' from the sleeve and stem. By thusvarranging the spring to bear at intervals against the angular interior and exterior surfaces of the sleeve and stem, respectively, the stem is accurately guided in its vertical movement, preventing the plunger from tilting and binding in the barrel and at the same time reducing the frictional contact between the spring and the adjusting sleeve and stem to a minimum, whereby the spring is permitted to expand freely for electively pressing the plunger downwardly against the grease, enabling a lighter spring to be employed for this purpose.

ln grease-cups of this character as heretofore constructed the adjustingsleeve and plunger-stem were cylindrical in cross-section and the spiral spring was iitted comparatively tight into the annular space between tne sleeve andstem in order to properly guide the plunger. This construction is objectionabimbecause the large area of frictional contact between the spring and the sleeve and stem prevents the'. spring from expanding freely and necessitates employing a heavy spring to overcome this friction,

'which is difficult to compress for putting the grease-cup in working condition.

For the purpose of holding the adjusting- ICO sleeve in position a take-up device is provided whic'yh normally permits the sleeve to y be depressed. for compressing the spring, but

" barrel and engaging with the' ratchet-teeth.

Each ofthe latter has an inclined or beveled lower side and an abrupt upper side. The

pawl is movable laterallyA in a pocket I, formedA on the guide-collar of the barrel, and is con- -nected by a rod z" with a finger-piece orbutton` 712. Aspringjjnterposed between the pawl and the back of the guide-pocket, holds the pawl yieldingly in engagement with the ratchetteeth. Upon pressing the adjusting-sleeve downwardly the pawl is deflected by the inclined sides of the teeth and returned by its spring into engagement with the abrupt side of the teeth, thereby holding the adjustingsleeve in anyposition to which it may be depressed. VVhen it is desired to raise the adjustingsleeve for refilling the barrel with grease, this may be done by withdrawing the pawl by means of the linger-piece '52, so that it clears the teeth ofthe adjusting-sleeve.

In thecylindrical form of the adjustingsleeve and guide-collar heretofore in use on grease-cups the ratchet-teeth extended entirelyaround the circumference of the adjusting-sleeve. Thisisobjectionable,becausethe spring-pressure of the detent-pawl against one side ofthe adj usting-sleeve causes the ratchetteeth on the opposite side to grip against the inner side of the guide-collar, thereby retarding the descent of theadjusting-sleeve and rendering the depression of the same difficult. Furthermore, the' large exposed area of the annular ratchet-teeth aords a lodging-place for a considerable amount of dust, which if carried downwardly into the barrel commingies with the grease and impairs its quality for `lubricating purposes. In my 'improved construction only a narrow row of ratchetteethl is employed, and as the pawl engages successively with these teeth any dust lodging thereon is liable to be dislodged or compressed, thereby reducing to a minimum the liability of. admitting dust to the grease in the barrel.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of a barrel, an adjusting-sleeve guided in the top of said barrel and havinganangnlarinterior,aplungerarranged in the barrel, a stem projecting upwardly from the plunger into the adj Listing-sleeve and having au angular exterior, and a spiral spring j bearing at opposite ends against the plunger and the adjusting-sleeve and having its outer and .inner sides bearing at intervals against the angular surfaces of the adjusting-sleeve and stem and separated therefrom atintervals by intervening spaces, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a barrel provided in its top with a guide-collar which is square in cross-section, an adj Listing-sleeve of square cross-section guided in said collar, a plunger arranged in the barrel, a stem of square crosssection projecting from the plunger upwardly into the adjusting-sleeve, and a coil-spring bearing at opposite ends against the plunger and the top ofthe adj listing-sleeve and having its outer and inner sides hearing at intervals against the receding parts of the adjustingsleeve and the salient parts-of the stem and separated at intervals from the sleeve and stem by intervening spaces, substantially as set forth. y

TNitness my hand this 12th day of April, 1902.

HENRY C. WINSPEAR. lVitnesses:

THEO. L. PoPP, CARL F. GEYER 

